Press



S. B. MINNICH.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1919.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

'4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

S. B. MINNIGH.

PRESS. APPLICATION FILED MIA/19,1919.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

4SHEE EETZ.

S. B. MINNICH.

PRESS.

S- B. MINNICH.

PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYQ. 1919.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- lhvenior 'Jizno ivrnvnron, or LANDISVILLE, rnnlvsvnvnnra,

sir/ions. nrmvron. or LANnrsvrLLn, rnizrnsrtvanra, essre nos ro fM'ARY Paris s.

teem-res,

' Application filed. May 9,

'10:..adapted for more general use.

The invention comprises lmproved means whereby plungers are operated in straight lines to press the materials transversely 1n succession'so that the sides or ends of the bale may be pressed in first, to effect say half thev consolidation, and then the bottom is pressed up to complete the consolidation,

. the operating mechanism being of suchcharacter that solidor full faced plungers acting 2 uniformly over the surfaces pressed can be used and suchplnngers operate without lateral thrust on .the'frame.

The characteristic features and edects of the improvements are disclosed in the fol- 5-:3lowing description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof; j

Inthe drawings, ig. 1 is a side elevation of a press embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side 301thereof, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the same; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 t? of- Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 'of'Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a gdetached sectional elevation of drivinggears used in the construction.

The improved press, in the form thereof illustrated, is-provided with a framecomprising the corner posts 1 having their tops .1connected by the parallel beams 1 and the transverse parallel beams 1", the latter being angular inform to provide bearings for the press head.

The press head'2 is provided with the "-connected transverse beams 2 and'2", the beams 2 extending under-the bearings 1" which holds the head against upward. movement. Bearings Q on the beams? carry the wheels 3 which run on the beams 1 the latter providing rails whereby the head can be-moved transversely with relation to the frame. I i 1 The sides l of the press arev fixed to the angle bars 5, which are arranged in pairs hinged bythe pintles 6 to the bearings 1 on;

the tracks 10 run on the rails members.

the respective oppositely running belts 24 g specificationof Letters Patent. Patgnfed Feb,

1919. Seria1No.295,821. v '1 postsl, the anglet'bars extendingacross the members 4 so that their free ends" may bear against the .oppositetposts'hthesides 4 lylng between such posts and beingfi'xed in place by the engagement of loc-lr bars "7 i with the free endsof the'bars 5t.

The bars 7 are mounted eccentrically by the bearlngs 7? on the arms 8, which have the pivotalibearings 8' on posts 1' so, that such bars. can be swung toand fro acro ss the ends of the bars 5, handles 7 serving to turn the respective bars" 7 in'contact with .the bars '5'to clampv the latter against. the? hosts The; ends of the press comprise the plungers 9 which are movable in the ways or housing 10 of rectangular cross'secti'ori and fixed between'opjposite posts 1; The

plungersa9 are provided with therollers 11 "11, which'bear against the top and: bottom:

of the respective; housings '10, i andf 1 with the; truss members 9Fyand 9 ,1.,connect'ed b'yf. the cross-braces 9, the parts '9bhaving oni theirrear ends the'rollers l1- which run on 1 journaled inthe bearings 13 ;hasits outer.

end. connected by links 14' w-ith the nearerplungerc9 and its inner end. connected by" links 15with the bars -16, thelatter being-* fixed to the other plunger- 9 throughthe pa'rts9, 9 and 9. Rollers lfiionthe ends of the bars 16 connected with the links It will be understood that when shaft 13 is turned and the lever 12 rocked, the latter acts through thelinks '14, I5 and 7 16 to move the plungers'9 fsimultaneously 5 in opposite directions. 1 The shaft I 13 has fixed thereon a. wormfF 1 wheel 19 Which is revolved by its engagement with a worm shaft 20 iournaled in the bearings 26 the shaft 20'having fixed thereon l 0 a driving spur wheel 21. 'The wheel 21 is adapted to be engaged and driven by a pinion .22Jsplined on the shaft 23' which is journalled inthe bearings 23 the shaft" being revoluble in opposite directio'ns'in any 1 suitable manner as byits provision with'the fixed pulley 24: and f theidle pulleys 24 and 24 adapted for engagement alternately withand 24 I a parallel with the bottomsl80 oft-he housings. i

18' as a support for these 90 Y A belt shifter is provided with a reciprocating rod 25 which is connected by. a link 25 with an operating lever 36, for

shifting the belt 24 and a belt shifter 25 is connected through a hollow rod 25 on the rod 25 and a link 25, with a lever 36,

- and 36 are adapted to be engaged, the cams per odically knocking on the levers, which are then operated by the respective weights 36 and 86 connected therewith by the straps 36 and 36' passing over the respective pulleys 86 and 36 to shift the belts.

A pinion 26 is splined on the shaft 23 and isadapted for engaging and driving the spur wheel27 which is fixed on the shaft 28 journallediin the bearings 28 r; pinion 29, fixed on and driven by the shaft 28, engages and drives the spur wheel 80 which is fixed on and revolves a worm shaft 81 journall'ed in the fixed bearings 81 the shaft having the oppositely turned threads or worms 31 and 81 on sections thereof.

A yoke 32 connects the pinions 22 and 26, and contains the slots 32 wherethrough pass the bearings 32 on which it slides. The yoke is reciprocated by an arm 38 connected therewith through a link 34: and fixed to :a shaft 35 journalled in a bearing 35 the shaft being rocked by an arm or handle 36 fixed thereon. W

It will be understood that when the pinion 22 engages the spur wheel 21 to operate the end plungers 9 through the intermediate mechanism described, the pinion 26 is out of engagement with the spur wheel 27 and the shaft 31 is at rest, being disconnected from the driving mechanism. But when the pinion 26 is'engaged with the spurv wheel 27 to drive the shaft 31, through the inter- Inediate mechanism described, the pinion 22 is disengaged from the spur wheel 21, disengaging the plungers 9 from the power.

A bottom plunger 36, movable vertically between the inner ends of the ways 10 and directly beneaththe head 2 when in operating position, is reciprocated by the revolu-. tion of the shaft 31, which acts through the nuts 37 and 37 movable in opposite directions along the shaft by their engagementwith the respective oppositely threaded sections 31 and 31 thereof, the oppositely inclined struts 38 and 38 pivotally connected to the respective nuts by the bean ings37 and 37 and to the plunger by the bearings 36 and 36 and theoppositel inclined struts 39 and 39 fulcrumed on the respective stationary bearings 39 and 39 and pivotally connected to the struts 88 and 38 by the pins 40 and 4:0. The several turning points 37 37 39 and 89 lie in the same plane and the distances from the respective points of connection 40 and @0 to such turning points are equal.

It will be understood that when the shaft 31 is turned clockwise, viewed from the end to which power is applied, the nuts 37 and .37 are drawn toward each other and the;

struts38 and 38 (acting against the re-' is always vertical so that there is no tend ency to move plunger laterally and the preaches the position requiring the maximum compression, due to the straightening of the toggles and the-lengthening ofthe power arms of the struts. I V

In the operation of the filled press (the sides t being locked in closed position, the

head 2 being positioned over the space between such sides and the pl-ungers 9 and 36 being retracted) the lever 36 is operated to throw the slide 32 and engage the pinion 22 with the spur wheel 21 and the shaft 23' direction of the arrow on the pulley 24:, the belt 2 i now being on the idle pulley 24. The wheel 21, revolved thereby, revolves v the worm shaft 20, which acts through the parts 19, 13, 12, 14, 15 and 16 onthe plungers 9. These plungers are moved toward each other until they reach the inner limits of their housings 10 and thus eifecttheir work in reducing. the bulk of the goods, being held in this position by the action of-the worm shaft 20 on the wheel 19 when disconnected from the power or prime mover. The plun is'revolved by the belt 2P running in the The resultants power transmitted thereto increases as it apgers 9 having reached the limits of their inward movements, the lever 36 is shiftedin the opposite direction, the pinion 22 1S dis engaged from the spur wheel 21' and the pinion 26 is engaged with the spur wheel 27. The wheel 27 now acts through the parts 28, 29, and 30 to 'evolve the shaft 31 clock wise, feeding the 1111135 37 and 37 toward each other and elevating the plunger 36 to complete the compression. The reverse movements of the plungers are effectedby shifting the belt 2& from the pulley 24: to the pulley 24E and the belt 24 from the pulley 2a to the pulley 24.

Asthe nut 37 approaches the limit of its movement, along the shaft 31 in the operation of advancing the plunger 36, it

strikes the arm 36 on the rod 36 which shifted and causes the cam 36 to knock the lever 36* out of engagement. with its notch oo, whereupon this lever is thrown by its weight 36 and acts through the parts 25 and 25 to shift the belt from the driving pulley 2a to the idle pulley 24 In theoperation of retracting the plunger 36,

as it reaches the limit of its rearward move-.

i'through the parts 25, 25 and25 to throw the belt 2& from the driving the idle pulley 24F.

It will be seen that this construction, by which the sides or ends of the bale are first pressed in by solid plungers moving through pulley 24' to parallel positions and then the bottom pressed up by a plunger moving through parallel positions, efiects not only a more uniform consolidation but avoids the excessive depth or head room required for operating large presses having a single vertically acting plunger. Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A press having plungers movable in straight lines to and from each other constantly in parallel position, a plunger mov-. able transversely to the lines of movement of said plungers first named, means comprising a lever having its opposite ends connected therewith, for moving said plungers first named simultaneously toward each other to effect compression of materials held between them and means comprising pivotally connected struts for thereafter moving said plunger to effect further compression of said materials.

2. A press having plungers movable in straight lines to and from each other constantly in parallel positions, housings in which said plungers are movable, means for moving said plungers simultaneously toward each other to compress materials held between them, a plunger movable transversely to the lines of movements of said plungers to compress said material, and means comprising pivotally connected fulcrumed struts of equal'lengths from their pivotal connections to their respective fulcrums whereby said plunger is movable to compress said material subsequently to its compression by said plungers. V

3. A press having oppositely acting plungers, means for reciprocating said plungers so as to effect their movements simultaneously in reverse directions, a plunger acting transversely to said plungers, fulcrumed main struts having pivotal connections with said plunger and oppositely inclined in the retracted position thereof, and auxiliary struts having pivotal connections with said main struts and fulcrumed in the plane of the fulcrums thereof, the distances of the plvotal connections to the fulcrums being equal whereby SillCl COIlIlGCtlOIlS' second 7 named are drawn together and communicate thrusts through said struts to said plunger. 4. A press having a plunger, fulcrunied struts having pivotal connections with said plunger, means connected-with said struts each of said struts first named, the struts for swinging-them simultaneously in oppof' .site directions to rec1procate' sa d plunger, and a fulcrumed strut p1votallyconnected to pivotally connected together being oppositely inclined in the retracted position of said plunger, havin their fulcrums in acommon plane and the same lengths from'their respective fulcrums to their pivotal connectiOIls togethen v a 5, A press having a plunger, struts having pivotal connections with said plunger,

bearings on-which said struts are adapted to turn, means for moving sald bearings slmultaneously 1n opposlte directions, struts having pivotal connections'with said struts first named'and bearings for said struts second named, said bearings being in the same plane substantially and said struts havinga'like distance from their connections together to their-connections with said bearings.

6. A press having oppositely acting plungers, means comprising alever having its opposite ends'connected therewith for moving saidplungers simultaneously-in opposite directions, a plunger acting transverselyto said plungers, struts connected with said plunger, bearings on which said struts are adapted to turn and by which they are turned;

relatively to said plunger, struts having turning connections with the respective] connections with said plunger and bearings,

stationary bearings, and oscillatory struts having pivotal connections with said struts first named and said stationary bearings,the;

distances from the connections between said struts to their respective bearings aforesaid being equal.

8. A press having oppositely acting recip-t 'rocatory plungers, a worm shaft, a lever fixed on said shaft, means connecting oppoe sitely acting arms of said lever with said plungers to effect their. reciprocation, a'journalled power shaft, and means comprising a worm gear whereby said power shaft is adapted to revolve said worm shaft in opposite directions.

9. A press having oppositely acting plun gers, a journalled shaft, a worm wheel fixed on said shaft, a leverfixed on said shaft, means connecting oppositely acting arms of said: lever with said plungers to effect their 7 movements simultaneously in opposite directions, a journalled worm shaft engaging said wheel, a driving shaft, means for revolving said driving shaft alternately inopposite directions, a gear splined on said driving shaft and a driving gear on said Worm shaft adapted to be engaged and disengaged by said shift gear.

10. A-press having oppositely acting plungers, a plunger acting transversely to said plungers first named, a journalled Worm shaft, a lever on said shaft, means connecting opposite arms of said lever with said plungers first named to move them simultana ously in opposite directions, a second journalled worm shaft, means operated by said Worm shaft last named to reciprocate said plunger, a journalled powershaft, means for revolving said power shaft in'opposite directions, gears movable along and revolved by said power shaft, means for simultaneously shifting said gears: along said shaft, and gears whereby the respective gears aforesaid are adapted to operate said shafts alternately.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name this 7th day of May, 1919.

siMoN B. MINNICH. 

